This publication stresses the growing importance of treating animal abuse as a serious crime. Intermixing research with illustrative examples, it examines the link between animal abuse and child abuse, domestic violence, and other crimes. An important resource for judges, prosecutors, police officers, advocates for domestic violence victims, educators, mental health professionals, and child protective service workers.

An important example of animal protection as a public policy issue is seen in ASI’s work within the “cycle of violence.” Studies show that there is a link between acts of cruelty to animals and violence toward humans, including child abuse, spousal battery and other types of criminal violence. The treatment of animal abusers has become an increasingly acknowledged necessity: 27 states currently recommend or mandate judges to require counseling for persons convicted of animal cruelty. We educate health, education and criminal justice professionals to recognize animal cruelty as a law enforcement issue and as a probably indicator of violence toward others.

Created in 1999, the AniCare Model of Treatment for Animal Abuse is the first professionally developed psychological intervention program for animal abusers over the age of 17. A program called AniCare Child is used to treat offenders under age 17.